The captain of NHE’s ship

Gisbertus Mukulu, the CEO of the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) was born and bred in Omundjalala village in the Omusati Region.
He completed primary school at Anamulenge Primary School and completed grade 12 at Mweshipandeka High School in Ongwediva.
Mukulu holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Namibia (Unam) and a master’s degree – also in public administration - from the University of Botswana.
“I also have a postgraduate diploma in higher education from Unam.”
He joined the NHE in 2016.
“It has been an interesting journey with continuous learning opportunities in the process of delivering on the NHE mandate.” He added that the journey has not been spared from challenges, as obstacles are part of it and mitigation of those made him bolder.
Previously, Mukulu worked as a principal at Erundu Combined School in Ongwediva and a university lecturer at Unam. He was also the CEO of the Okahao town council for 10 years before joining NHE.
As the enterprise’s CEO, he is responsible for the overall management of operations including prudent financial management, as well as the execution of strategic initiatives.
“I ensure that we achieve our mandate, which is the financing of housing for the inhabitants of Namibia and provision for the housing needs of such inhabitants.” Mukulu also provides collective positive energy and authentic leadership to the organisation.
It is further his duty to engage stakeholders and shareholders concerning housing matters. “The provision of affordable housing to our people is one of NHE’s mandates and one of the key priorities of the government,” he added.

Accomplishments and challenges
Mukulu said they have managed to sell nearly all mass housing development houses completed and given to NHE by government. They have also delivered houses through the request for funding proposals model.
Operation-wise, NHE has put in place a strategic plan and performance management system, as well as reviewed a lot of policies to enable the proper functioning of the institution.
He said the key challenges remain inadequate funding for capital projects and difficulties in acquiring affordable serviced land from local authorities.
“It is challenging to prosper when your ability to deliver is highly dependent on the decisions of another entity, but one cannot allow limitations to inhibit your capacity to make a change.”
Another project Mukulu is proud of is the Informal Settlement Upgrading Housing Pilot Project (ISUHPP). This is an initiative of the ministry of urban and rural development, in collaboration with the City of Windhoek, the Khomas regional council and NHE.
Close to 400 affordable houses have been constructed under this project since August 2020 in various informal settlements, including Havana Proper, Havana Extension 1, Onyika No. 2, Goreangab Extension 4, Greenwell Matongo, Otjomuise Extension 8 and 9 and Freedom Land A and B.
His short-term goals for NHE for the next two years are capital mobilisation, rolling out more projects and growing the loan book.
“I also want to achieve a significant reduction of arrears, which is challenging in times when the country’s economic environment has a detrimental impact on people’s spending capacity.”
The CEO added that his proudest moments at NHE were the major debt reduction they managed to make as well as the affordable houses being rolled out through smart partnerships with the private sector.
He said managing to roll out projects without capital injection is challenging, “but we are pulling through”.
“I am also proud about the success in selling completed mass housing houses, a daunting task in itself.”
A glimpse into a day in Mukulu’s life includes waking up at 05:00, exercising, getting ready for work, dropping the children off at school, briefly updating himself with the latest news and starting his day at work.

10 facts about Mukulu:
I am Catholic.
I can swim.
I like livestock.
I enjoy hunting.
I love recreational travelling with family.
I have four children.
I am focused on my own personal and business goals.
I am highly motivated and determined.
I seek to inspire those around me.
I am an avid reader, and enjoy books on leadership. I’m currently reading ‘God is My CEO’ by Larry S. Julian.